


Comedy and Coffee

by orphan_account



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Abandonment Issues, Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Modern: No Powers, Angst, Ben Solo Needs A Hug, Childhood Friends, Childhood Trauma, Dysfunctional Family, Emotional Baggage, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Emotional Manipulation, Emotional/Psychological Abuse, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Kylo Ren and Rey Are Not Related, Multi, Not Beta Read, PLEASE READ THE TAGS FOR TRIGGER WARNINGS, Panic Attacks, Rey Needs A Hug, Rey and Ben are 27 here, Slow Burn, Tags May Change, The first few parts take place when they are in third grade AKDFAJDK, Trauma, comedian ben solo, comedian!ben solo, honestly they are a dysfunctional family in this one, mention of anxiety, mention of depression, possible trigger warning, probably ooc leia and han??, yall leia is a stressed mother here, yes he is sad
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-10
Updated: 2020-03-22
Packaged: 2021-03-01 04:34:40
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,477
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23089447
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: Rey works at Resistance Cafe after moving back to her hometown. A certain comedian named Ben Solo catches her attention from across the restaurant. She can't shake the feeling she knows this man but decides to go along with it and see where it leads. It's all fun and games until the usually pessimistic and dry-humored comedian stops showing up to the cafe.
Relationships: Kylo Ren/Rey, Rey/Ben Solo, Rey/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren
Comments: 3
Kudos: 14





	1. Chapter 1

There’s a warm glow to the small field Rey and Ben visited almost every day together. Summer was about to end, signaled by the field’s warm glow growing a bit more colder as the month progressed. There was an eerie quiet where lighthearted jokes and rambling took place as Ben sat himself down next to Rey on the soft grass. He picked nervously at the roots of the tree they sat under. 

“Okay, fine. I’ll start. What’s going on?”

Rey’s stern tone surprised him. Normally she wouldn’t ask like that. Was he acting “off” today? 

“What do you mean?”

Ben’s voice shook as he tried to appear nonchalant. Don’t ask about my parents, his thoughts looped. Don’t ask about my parents, don’t ask about my parents, don’t ask about my parents—

“How are your parents?”

“They’re okay.”

He knows Rey can most definitely see through him when he’s lying. Hell, they’ve known each other for a good while. 

“Talk to me.”

He shook his head.

“Ben Solo.”

Rey normally didn’t use Ben’s full name unless she was serious. It always caught his attention. 

“Your mother was crying really loudly last night, Ben. We heard her next door.”

Rey spoke slowly and gently. It somewhat soothed him and he let her continue.

“I was worried. Did something bad happen?”

Truth be told, yes, something bad happened. Something bad always had to happen to him. Ben has his own issues that he tries to work on, and the stress of it had driven his family up a wall with hurt and worry. Last night, Ben tried to be open about issues that affected him. However, due to living in a stressful and frail household such as Ben’s, everything crumbled and broke down quickly. 

No, nobody laid a hand on him. There were only strong words, when those could still do so much to heal and do a lot more to hurt. This time, these words hurt. They dug deep into his head and stung in a familiar way. Ben hated how the stinging words were familiar to him. 

“Just a rough few days, nothing to worry about.”

“Rough days indeed,” a voice whispered in his head. 

That voice would also sting and scratch in the back of his mind, just like the vague and foggy memories of last night. He had heard enough of the distressing argument that took place downstairs. So Ben went upstairs. The household was quiet and empty. It was a mockery of what used to be there. Or was supposed to be there. 

The memory continued to play in his head but it wouldn’t stop no matter how hard Ben tried. No matter how much he just wanted to break down and tell Rey everything. No, the memory would play over and over again, just to haunt him for as long as he lived. 

He had sworn silently at himself as he locked (or at least tried) to lock himself in his room and just get away from there as best he could. Their slightly less than hushed voices would echo in his head and throughout the empty and silent house as he would clutch his head and try to silence them.  
They wouldn’t stop, their voices wouldn’t ever stop. His mother always threatened to leave, and he always seemed to be around to hear. He heard his father’s cautious footsteps up the stairs. Ben scoured his room desperately and tried to pry various toys off of a small chair he was given as a small child. He was barely able to try and block the door with the small chair as the footprints grew louder. The knob turned and the door cracked open. 

“Ben! Are you okay?”

He snapped himself back to the present. Right. He was sitting beside his best friend, all they wanted to do was just have fun during their last few days of summer. He didn’t have to ruin everything like that. Ben didn’t seem to notice that his breathing had quickened in stress. His heartbeat seemed to beat in his ears as well. 

“I’m okay.”

Just like the house, Rey was silent and almost looked a bit dull. She seemed to have just decided to drop the matter. 

“Just promise me you’ll try and be okay, right? If something bad happens, you know where I live.”

There’s no way he could really promise that, right? Maybe he was just being a little bitch about his parents, but for Rey to offer her support like that… He really does have the most amazing friend. 

“...Promise?”

Rey held out her hand to Ben in a pinkie promise. 

“Pinkie promise.”

So the promise was made. Something about Rey always helped him feel safe, and today was another example why. Every summer, the two made it a tradition to make sure they had a sleepover before the school year started. This year was no different, except for the fact that Rey was going to a different school.

Their sleepover was everything Ben had hoped it would be and more, which wasn’t actually that much. He was just happy that he was with Rey and safe. Hopefully Rey felt the same. It was like nothing was going to change.  
The voice in his head whispered and scratched in the back of his mind again, reminding him that Rey would leave. Just like how his mother says she would do. Leave Ben and his father behind. Leave Ben behind. His thoughts began to race like always, Rey was doing exactly what he feared. She was leaving him.

He took extra care to draw her one last time while they sat down and just talked. 

The day had arrived, and Rey was standing beside her family car. They were just about to leave. Ben called out to her and handed her his drawing of her that he made. It wasn’t really that good, but Rey still knew how to make him feel a bit better about it and give him a few art tips. For once, Rey seemed like the brooding one. With good reason, of course. This was their goodbye.

“Hi.”

“Hi.”

“I made this for you.”

Ben awkwardly handed Rey his drawing. Now that he thinks about it, maybe he could’ve fixed that one corner on the left eye he was having trouble with--

“It’s kind of funny, right?”

“What?”

“I mean, it’s kind of funny how we used to make fun of all those movies where the best friends get split up because one has to move away or go to a different school.”

Of course Rey would try to make some light of this. He couldn’t help but smile.

“You’re right. Your drawing is amazing, by the way.”

Ben’s grin grew a bit wider and he felt his face turn a bit red. 

“Thanks.”

“We can still hang out, it’s not like I’m moving to a different country or something. I’ll still be here.”

Rey moved her hand to touch Ben’s chest.

“I’ll also be right here.”

Ben snorted and took her hand off his chest. 

“What, in my heart?”

“Yes, Ben Solo. That’s exactly what I’m saying.”

Her tone changed. She was being pretty serious. 

“Pff, okay, okay. You’re right. Have fun at Jakku Academy.”

“Thank you.”

Rey’s mother walked out of the house and gestured to Rey to get in the car as she made her way towards them.

“Oh, I should probably get going.”

“Wait!”

Rey turned towards him as Ben held out his hand to her.

“Pinkie promise?”

“What’s the promise?”

“Promise that you won’t forget about me when you meet a ton of new friends and get super popular and cool.”

He knew that he was only partly joking. Every part of him knew there was a chance she really would forget him. 

“Of course.”

Rey pinkie promised.

“We’re definitely being all pretentious and movie-like, aren’t we?”

“How else would this day go?”

“I’ll see you around Ben. Have fun being the emo kid!”

“Not true!”

Rey giggled as her mother started the car, leaving Ben to watch them head down the road and away from their quiet neighborhood. 

Leaving Ben all alone.


	2. Chapter 2

It was just like the movies, like Ben expected. He should’ve seen this coming. The weeks passed by, and the school year was already well into October. It wasn’t like he and Rey fought, it was more like they just drifted apart every passing week. Exactly what he had wished wouldn’t happen.   
He still sees Rey around, but she usually is around her school friends. Ben just assumes that they wouldn’t like him one bit and tries to continue on with his day. Sure, he tries to call her every now and then but why would she want to talk to him? A part of him knows this isn’t true and that Rey truly does enjoy his company, but some other part of him is dead-set on his abandonment.

Third grade is enough of a distraction. Sure, there is a looming shame and sadness over him, but it’s not like he would be able to talk to his parents. He can hear them whispering about him downstairs when they think he isn’t around. Distractions are enough to fill whatever void Rey left him with. The very same part of him who knows Rey doesn’t really hate him also knows that Rey isn’t really to blame. However, just like his father says, he’s just looking for somebody to blame. 

And that’s his fault.

“I don’t want to be a part of this family anymore!”

Leia had screamed in the quiet house. Homework wasn’t bringing out the best in the family, if there really was a “best”. In his now vague memory, Ben had cried out, 

“You’re saying something bad about me, aren’t you?”

Something had snapped and his mother had stormed upstairs. He couldn’t remember much of that night, but he does remember the frustration. He remembers curling up against the cabinet and sobbing as words such as “failure” and “disappointment” circled in his head.   
Things would be better if Rey were around. It was a depraved, maybe even selfish friendship at times but it wasn’t as if Ben didn’t enjoy Rey’s company. It was one of the things that kept him here in this hellhole, really. He just had to be a disappointment like always and let her leave. He’d be right here as long as he lived, destined to lay and rot in the field isolated for the rest of his miserable existence. 

It’s been 19 years. Time really flies by, as her family had told her when Rey left. She was a bright-eyed student who kept to herself, and that got her through the years relatively well. After working an internship and leaving her hometown a few years ago, she had received a job offer from her grandfather across the country. It paid well, and she seemed well qualified so it was supposedly a good bargain.   
Rey’s years working with her grandfather were absolute hell. Her grandfather was ruthless and selfish, his corrupt mindset was the sole reason why the company was as successful as it was. Finding it disgusting despite not having any other work options, Rey quit and left. Her grandfather still somehow found a way to make her life hell and manipulated her through her friends. Perhaps moving back to find herself and recuperate was the best choice now.

Rey knew she could trust in her friends Finn and Poe to help her find a good place to work while she tried to recover. They even got Rose to put in a good word for her. The job was relatively small and didn’t pay as much as her job at her grandfather’s company, of course. But the little coffee shop was peaceful and almost jolly in a way. It went by the name “Resistance Cafe” and despite the name, it was not a bold environment. She meant that in a good way, the peacefulness was exactly what she’d need to take a break.   
Everything seemed quiet enough, except for the laughter coming from the far side of the cafe. Again, the space was relatively small so sound carried easier. When Rey glanced towards where the laughter was coming from, she noticed there was a stand-up comedian on the small stage. He was most definitely in his element and maybe even a bit cocky as he delivered each dry, nihilistic joke and story he prepared after the next. Some were duds, some weren’t. There wasn’t a flicker of doubt in his face as he moved on, all until his time was up on stage. 

Rey hadn’t noticed she was watching the comedian for as long as she had been. As soon as his act was finished, there was then a flicker of some emotion she couldn’t understand passing through the comedian’s face before he glanced at her almost suspiciously. Perhaps he had noticed she was watching him. He looked like he was about to walk over and say something, until Rey awkwardly turned to talk with Poe and Finn. What could she say? Eye contact is spooky. 

“Well, this is one hell of a situation,” Ben thought. There this woman was, standing right across the restaurant from him, stone-faced and possibly… judgemental? He couldn’t possibly assume anybody who seems to be trying to make eye contact with him is judging each and every move he makes.  
He could. He most definitely could. Something tells him that this woman knows more about him than he thinks she does, even though he most likely didn’t see her before. The way she looked at him was, without a shadow of a doubt, a threat. Maybe if he went up to her and tried to ask her what was wrong with his jokes she would give him tips and leave him alone--

“Excuse me? Are you alright?”

Shit. Ben nearly jumped off the edge of the small stage. When did he sit his ass down on the stage again? Come on, pretend to be “Confident Comedian Ben Solo” for just a few more minutes, damnit. 

“What do you want?”

Smooth.

“I just started working here, that’s all. Just thought it’d be best to get to know everyone.”

Ohfuckohfuckohfuck. This is that woman who was judging him across the cafe earlier.

“Maybe not me. There’s nothing about the comedian you’d want to know about.”

Stupid.

“I do know you, comedian.”

Hold on, what does she mean? Did she just--  
“Your name is Kylo Ren, correct?”

Right. He has a stage name. How fucking stupid does he have to be to think she was going to straight-up put him in his place and say his name? It wasn’t like she’d want to know his actual name anyways.

“Sure. Yeah.”

“Well, Kylo. I’ll see you around.”

“Okay.”

Oh shit, he didn’t ask about her name. It doesn’t matter, right? She was already walking away. Who cares about one more stranger who hates him? He didn’t need to go and ask about it.

Ben lasted two hours. Two long hours of aggressive second-guessing himself. He finally came to terms with himself and sidled up to the barista across the counter, much to her and her colleagues’ apprehension. 

“Hey. You didn’t tell me your name.”

“Do you always rudely ask people about their names, then?”

He rolled his eyes out of instinct but immediately regretted it. She was right, after all.

“What, you want me to call you ‘barista’?”

“I’d have to call you ‘comedian’, but… that actually has a ring to it.”

Huh. Was she still angry at him?

“Fine. My name’s Rey.” 

“No last name?”

Rey seemed to pause. Perhaps he struck a nerve.

“Nope. No last name for you.”

“Alrighty.”

It’s good to know her name. He should be able to just move on, right? She’s just a random stranger named Rey, who reminds him of someone somehow. It’s not something to worry about, that’s it. There’s nothing more to this stranger.

“I’m going to be here every Friday and Sunday. We should talk.”

Rey paused at the blunt offer. Wasn’t this man just being edgy and rude a few minutes ago? Instead of politely declining and booking the hell out of the cafe, she nodded her head.

“I start work tomorrow.”

“Oh, okay. You working the whole week or something?”

The comedian’s cold persona seemed to fall short a bit as he looked on hopefully. He seemed to be silently hoping she’d say yes. The truth is, yes, she works here five days a week. It’s not every day that Rey puts up with assholes and tries to be nice and friendly with them, but here she was.

“Yeah, I work here Monday to Friday.”

“Oh, good. Good. Well, I’ll just see you around.”

‘What the hell was that?’ Ben thought to himself as he trudged away from the new barista. Why talk to some brand new bright-eyed employee like that, she clearly hates him. 

Little did Ben know that he was mostly right. Rey hated him. Mostly. Something about the comedian’s rude exterior was ingenuine, and she couldn’t shake the feeling of familiarity that he had. Perhaps she just found a guinea pig for testing how well she made coffee as well. She’d just have to figure things out tomorrow. Hopefully Kylo likes black coffee as dark as his non-existent soul.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I got three weeks of spring break because of corona. The best I can do is write some fanfiction. Thanks for reading this and have a nice day/night!


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ACK I AM SO SORRY THAT THIS CHAPTER IS SO DARN SHORT. I AM VERY RAPIDLY LOSING MOTIVATION--

Rey candidly placed the black coffee in front of the comedian. No creamer or anything. It was almost funny how Kylo looked up at her from the small table he was sitting at in complete confusion and slight alarm.

“What the hell?”

“What do you mean, ‘What the hell’?”

“You didn’t poison this or anything, right?”

“Of course not.”

He side-eyed her suspiciously as he took a small sip from the mug and set it down beside him on the table gingerly.

“Not dark enough?”

“No. I’m just worried you did something to it. Why are you being nice to me?”

That somehow hurt. Was he being serious asking such? He did look a bit tired and disheveled...

“Also, no. The coffee isn’t dark enough.”

He buried his head in his arms, seemingly exasperated. Perhaps he wasn’t.

“Fine. I’ll keep that in mind. Anyways, you said you wanted to talk yesterday. Maybe keep it quick, because I’m on company time.”

God, this wasn’t a good idea.

Ben lifted up his head to look at Rey once again.

“That sounds like a you problem.”

“Wow, a comedian coming back with a ‘That sounds like a you problem’? How smooth, Kylo--”

“Oh shush, this is why I need the goddamn coffee.”  
“You just said the coffee wasn’t dark enough.”

Ben chugged the lukewarm black coffee.

“I know.”

“Jesus, Kylo. I almost feel bad.”

“If only you knew.”

There goes his signature eye-roll. Did he always have to do that?

“Okay. Well, Kylo. It was nice talking to you--”

Ben rested his head against his palm as he stared into the mug of coffee that Rey had handed him. He stared into the mug. There was barely any coffee since he chugged most of the coffee, but it still seemed to interest him.

“I wasn’t saying the coffee was bad, you know.”

“Really? Well, I’m sure I can just improve it as I work here for a bit.”

Fuck. He probably said something wrong, didn’t he? Quick, think of a reason for her to stay--

“Hey, I’m willing to try and taste your coffee. You know, see if you actually need to get some decent creamer or some kind of fancy coffee shit. I’m kind of a coffee connoisseur. A coffee-sseur, if you will--”

He’s a comedian, he makes jokes for a living for god’s sake. He just pulled one of his worst jokes out of his ass while rambling about coffee.

“Sure.”

“Wait, really?”

“Yeah. I don’t know too much about coffee, so it might be nice to have a… what was that dumb thing you just said you were?”

Ben buried his face in his hands embarrassedly.

“Coffee-sseur.”

“Yes! Exactly. It might be nice to have a coffee-sseur on my side.”

“Alright. Um, I guess I do have a first impression on your coffee.”

“Alright, what is it?”

“You gotta add less sugar.”

This start wasn’t much of a start, really. Ben knew that he wasn’t exactly the warmest individual one could meet, and Rey knew it too. Her patience didn’t run dry with him, somehow, despite his coldness. This new partnership of sorts wasn’t exactly the sweetest, but it was something at most.   
A few moments later, Rey takes the mug from Kylo and begins to walk back to the cafe’s kitchen area. 

“Oh, by the way, Kylo,” Rey called back.

“I didn’t add any sugar in the black coffee, you soulless coffee-sseur!”

**Author's Note:**

> I have a lot of ideas for this story, but I'm still not sure if I want to continue and if people will actually read it. Apparently shipping Reylo is also kinda iffy? Oh well. Thank you so much for even clicking on my story and I hope you have a nice day!


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